Mining machine



Oct. 24, 1933. E. w. RADIUS 1,932,187

MINING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31. 1931 aw/0r Eduard [1/ far/ ar Ma M fi fiamgy Patented Oct. 24, 1933 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES,

1,932,187 MINING MACHINE Edward W. Radius, Chicago, Ill., assignor 'to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 21, 1931. Serial No. 560,270

8 Claims. (01, 26230) proved cutter bar for carrying the cutter chain and method of constructing the same.

My invention may be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

' Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device of my invention with parts broken away and in section; Figure 2is a sectional view taken on of Figure 1; and r Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device of myinvention with parts broken away and in section.

In the embodiment illustrated, my invention is applied to a cutter bar 10 forming part of a mining machine and having a cutter chain 12 movable thereabout. The cutterchain 12 is made up of a series ofblocks 13 carrying cutter bits 14 therein and connected together with suitable side straps 15. The block 13 and straps 15 are provided with retaining lips 16 which ride in a guideway 17 in the cutter bar 10;

line 2-2 Referring now in particular to several of the novel features of my invention, the cutter bar 10 is made up of a suitable frame work formed from one continuous member 18 shaped in the form of a U and having two parallel legs and a closed forward section of regularcontour. While the continuous member 18 may be made from material having any one of a number of cross-sections, the continuous member herein shown has an I shaped cross-section with a base or flange 19, a head 20 and a web 21 connecting the base with the head. As herein shown this I section is formed from an ordinary railroad rail although it may be formed from any other suitable material having an I shaped cross-section.

In constructing the frame. of the cutter bar 10, a straightrail of the proper length is obtained. The base 19 and web 21 are cut from the central portion of this rail a distance equal to the curvature desired for the forward portion of the cutter bar 10. This forms a rectangular shaped notch in the central portion of the continuous member 18 when the rail is straight .whichis in the form of a segment of a circle when the rail'has been curved and which will herein be referred to by reference character 22. Heatis applied to the central section of the continuous member 18 and the ends are drawn together in a direction so the head 20 of the continuous member 18 is on the outside and the notch 22 is on the inside and said member forms a U with the base 19 of the rail on the inner side thereof which has a closed forward portion 23 of regular curvature and parallel legs 24. This continuous member 18 may be formed by any suitable means; as, for instance, by means of dies or suitable rail bending mechanism.

Suitable means are provided for holding the closed forward portion 23 of the continuous member 18 to the required shape and aid in holding the legs 24 in parallel relation with respect to each other, which. means herein comprises a spacing strip 25 secured between the legs 24 of the continuous member 18 adjacent the rearward end of the closed portion 23 of said continuous member;

Means are provided to abut the outside of the head of the continuous member 18 and provide a renewable member for taking up the wear imparted to the cutter bar by the cutter chain, which means herein comprises a continuous wearing stripi26 formed to conform to the outer surface of the continuous member 18 and having turned in ends'27. The turned in ends 27 abut the ends of the legs 24 of the continuous member 18 and the continuous wearing strip 26 extends along both of said legs and around the closed forward portion 23 completely surrounding the outer surface of the continuous member 18. r I

Rivets 28 are provided to aid in holding the continuous 'wearing strip 26 to thecontinuous member 18 and are positioned adjacent the rearward end of the leg 24 on the following side of the cutter bar. The purpose in so positioning these rivets is to reduce the wear on said rivets caused by the action of the cutter chain to a minimum since very little wearing pressure is exerted by the cutter chain on the following side of the cutter bar 10 while the wearing pressure on the advance or cutting side of the cutter bar is greater due to the fact that the chain is relatively slack on the following side of the cutter bar 10 and the load on the cutter chain is at the advance side of said cutter bar. The renewable wearing strip 26 is so arranged that when the advance side thereof becomes worn it may be removed and inverted so the advance side extends along the retreating side of the cutter bar 10 and the retreating side extends along the'advance'side of said cutter bar in an obvious manner.

Guide members 29 are provided to form the guidew y 17 and aid in holding the continuous wearing strip 26 to the outer surface of the cutter bar 10. The guide members 29 may be of any suitable construction or form but are herein preferably shown as being rolled members having a shoulder 30 formed thereon with renewable gibs 31 attached to the outer side thereof. The guide members 29 arefastened to opposite sides of the head 20 of the I section of each leg .24 of the continuous member 18 and the shoulder 36 abuts the outer side of the continuous wearing strip 26 along the legs 24 or the cutter bar 10. inwardly projecting parts 32 are provided on the guide member 29 to engage the web 21 of the continuous member 13 and prevent spreading of said guide members by the action of the cutter chain. Any suitable means may be provided to hold the guide members 29 to the head 20 of the continuous member 18, but in the form herein shown said guide members are preferably held to the head 29 of the continuous member 18 by means of rivets indicated at 33.

The guide members 29 extend for the length of the legs 24 of the cutter bar 10 and the forward ends of said guide members are connected together by a cutter head indicated at 34 to form a continuous guideway for the cutter chain 12 along one leg 24' around the closed portion 23 and along the other leg 24 to the rearward end thereof.

The cutter head 34 comprises a plurality of semi-circular members 35 having gibs 36 secured thereto conforming to the circular surface of said plates and the curvature of the closed forward portion 23 of the continuous member 18. A re- 35 cess 3'? is provided in each plate to engage the closed portion of the continuous member 18 and engage the face of the continuous wearing-strip 26. The semi-circular members 35 are positioned on opposite sides of the head 20 ofthe I section bers 29.

Suitable means are provided to hold the semi-' circular member'35 to the closed forward portion 23 of the continuous member 18, which means herein comprises spaced nuts and bolts 33 recessed in the members 35 and passing through the notch 22 and having engagement with the outer side of each of said members.

t may thus be seen that the cutter head 34 is of a simple construction which may easily be made from a circular piece of material and then out inhalf and is so arranged that'said cutter head may be readily removed from the cutter barli) when desired. This feature is of particular advantagewhen repairing a broken chain or when renewing the cutter chain in that the head may be removed and the chain threaded around the guidewayi'? until the portion that is'to be repaired is in the opening in the guideway 17 formed when the head is removed. This provides ample space for working on the chain and thus simplifies the removing and replacing of broken straps or blocks.

It may now be seen that a new and novel form of cutter bar. has been provided which is of a relatively simple and inexpensive and rugged construction so arranged that its frame" may be made from a continuous strip and all of the wearing parts may be easily renewed, which cutter bar is also so arranged as to provide ready accessibility to the cutter chain when desired.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the arrangement and constructionof the various parts thereof .may be altered or changed without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limitingmyseli to the precise form illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claimas my invention:

1. Ina mining machine, a cutter bar having a cutter chain movable thereabout and having an advance and following side, said cutter bar comprising a continuous member having two parallel legs and a closed portion of even'contour,,a renewable wearing strip extending around the outer surface of said continuous member, and a pair of cutter chain guiding members fastened to opposite sides of each parallel leg of said continuous member, said guides havingv a shoulder on the underside thereof abutting said wearing strip for holding said wearing strip in engagement with the outer surface of said continuous member.

2. In a mining machine, a cutter bar having a cutter chain movable thereabout and having an advance and following side, said cuttergbar comprising a continuous member having two parallel legs and a. closed portion of even contour, a wearing" strip extending around the outer surface of said continuous member, a pair of cutter chain guiding members fastened to opposite sides ofeach parallel leg of said continuous member, said guides having a shoulder on the underside thereof abutting said wearing strip for holding said wearing strip in engagement with the outer surface of said continuousmember, and acutter head joiningsaid chain guiding members' together, said cutter head comprising a pair of members detachably fastened to opposite sides of the closed portion of said continuous member, each of said members having a recess therein adapted to engage the t'op'and bottom edges of ion ids

said wearing strip. and having a guide formed thereon registering with said guiding members and forming a continuous guide along the legs and closed portion of said continuousmember.

3. A method of constructing cutter bars which comprises the forming of a rectilinear-member of an I shaped cross section having two separate flanges and a web connecting said-flangesin the shape of a U V with parallel legs and a closed forward section of regular contour by removing aportion of one flange and the web of said rectilinear member and drawing the ends thereof to gether aboutsaid removedportion. H

4. A method of constructing cutter bars which comprises the'forming of a rectilinear member in the shape of a U with parallel legs and a closed forward portion of regular contour by means of cutting away a portion of an intermediate portion of said rectilinear member and drawing the ends of said rectilinear member together in a direction so said cut away portion is 'on the inner side of the U. a i

'5. A method of constructing cutter bars which comprises the forming of a rectilinear memberof an I shaped cross section having two'separate flanges and a web connecting said flanges in the shape of a U with parallel -legs and a closedfor- Ward portion of regular contour by means of cutting'away'a portion of one leg and Web adof said rectilinear member together in a direction sosaid notch is on the inner side of the U.

7. A method of constructing cutter bars which comprises the forming of a rectilinear member of an I shaped cross section having twoseparate flanges and a web connecting said flanges in the shape of a U with parallel legs and a closed forward portion of regular contour by means of cutting away a portion of one legvand said web in the form of a notch adjacent an intermediate portion of said rectilinear member equal in length to the curvature of the base of the U and drawing the ends of said rectilinear member together in a direction so said cut away portion is on the inner side of the U.

8. A method of constructing cutter bars which comprises the forming of a rectilinear member of a cross section in the form of a rail having'a head and base and a web connecting the head and base together in the shape of a U with parallel legs and a closed forward section of regular contour with the head of said rectilinear member extending along the outer side of the U by removing a portion of the base and web of said rectilinear member and drawing the ends thereof together about said removed portion.

v EDWARD W. RADIUS. 

